pontoon

¹ American  

[pon-toon] / pɒnˈtun /

Also ponton

noun

1. Military. a boat or some other floating structure used as one of the supports for a temporary bridge over a river.

2. a float for a derrick, landing stage, etc.

3. Nautical. a float for raising a sunken or deeply laden vessel in the water; a camel or caisson.

4. a seaplane float.

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pontoon ² American  

[pon-toon] / pɒnˈtun /

noun

British.

1. the card game twenty-one.

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pontoon ¹ British  

/ pɒnˈtuːn /

noun

1. 1. a watertight float or vessel used where buoyancy is required in water, as in supporting a bridge, in salvage work, or where a temporary or mobile structure is required in military operations

   2. ( as modifier )

      a pontoon bridge

2. nautical a float, often inflatable, for raising a vessel in the water

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pontoon ² British  

/ pɒnˈtuːn /

noun

1. Also called: twenty-one.   vingt-et-un.  a gambling game in which players try to obtain card combinations worth 21 points

2. (in this game) the combination of an ace with a ten or court card when dealt to a player as his first two cards

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Etymology

Origin of pontoon¹

1585–95; < French ponton < Latin pontōn- (stem of pontō ) flat-bottomed boat, punt

Origin of pontoon²

1915–20; alteration of French vingt-et-un twenty-one

Example Sentences

Rescue teams from Thursday used earth moving equipment on a pontoon to dredge a channel through the sand to allow the animal to escape.

From Barron's

Volunteers then walk the pontoon system into deeper water and rock it to help the whale recover its muscle and blood circulation - a process that can take hours and involves co-ordinated teamwork.

From BBC

Mr. Dovlo explained nothing to us, but we heard other passengers talking excitedly, and the word “pontoon” repeated.

From Literature

And then finally somebody shouted and we all looked to see the steamboat towing the pontoon boat up the river.

From Literature

Agent Savills said it was a unique opportunity to own the vacant island, which is wooded and has its own landing pontoon.

From BBC